Love overwhelmed by reaction since revealing panic attack

DENVER (AP) — Kevin Love has been overwhelmed by the flurry of positive responses a day after opening up about his struggles with mental health issues.

The Cleveland Cavaliers forward said Wednesday before his team played the Denver Nuggets that he’s received more than 4,000 messages after writing an essay for The Player’s Tribune in which he addressed such things as his panic attack during a game this season and how he’s spent most of his life afraid to accept there was something wrong with him.

Love said it was a therapeutic for him to address the topic. He thanked Toronto All-Star DeMar DeRozan for recently acknowledging his bouts of depression. It gave Love the courage to tell his story.

Added Love: "We need to beat down that stigma about mental health."

MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL

Union's free-agent training camp to close Friday — The spring training workout facility created for free agents by the players’ association, will close Friday after three weeks.

Major League Baseball Players Association executive director Tony Clark announced the decision Wednesday after meeting with New York Mets players as part of his tour of the 30 team camps.

With dozens of free agents unsigned as spring training began, the camp opened Feb. 13 at the IMG Academy in Bradenton and workouts started the next day. Forty-one players have attended, and Mike Napoli, Adam Lind, Tyler Clippard, Lucas Duda, Alejandro De Aza, Carlos Torres and Tommy Layne left after agreeing to contracts.

Neil Walker, Mark Reynolds, Omar Infante, Jarrod Saltalamacchia and Chris Johnson are among those still seeking deals from among the group that reported.

Top free agents have continued to work out on their own, such as Mike Moustakas, Jake Arrieta, Alex Cobb, Lance Lynn and Greg Holland.

Given the slow pace of free-agent signings during the offseason, Clark and players have questioned whether an increased number of teams are more focused on rebuilding than trying to win now.

"Players are questioning whether the best 750 are on the field, and fans are questioning whether or not they’re seeing the best 750 on the field at any given time," Clark said. "That’s not a conversation that any of us should want to have."

NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE

Eagles get Michael Bennett from Seattle — The Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles have acquired three-time Pro Bowl defensive end Michael Bennett from the Seattle Seahawks, two people familiar with the trade told The Associated Press.

The deal won’t be officially announced until the NFL’s league year opens next Wednesday. Both people spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren’t authorized to release the trade information.

Bennett had 8 ½ sacks last season and 54 in his nine-year career. The 32-year-old Bennett has three years remaining on his contract, with a base salary of just $1.65 million in 2018. That number jumps to $6 million in 2019 and $7.5 million in 2020.

PRO GOLF

PGA Tour at Colonial will be called Fort Worth Invitational — The longest-running PGA Tour event still being played at its original site has been renamed the Fort Worth Invitational for this year’s event.

Colonial Country Club officials announced the name Wednesday, about 2 1/2 months before the first round May 24.

Local companies American Airlines, AT&T, XTO Energy and Burlington Northern Santa Fe railway have signed on to support the 2018 tournament.

Dean and Deluca notified the PGA Tour and Colonial late last year that it may be unable to meet its financial obligations to remain title sponsor for the tournament. This 2018 tournament was supposed to be the third year of a six-year sponsorship deal for the upscale grocer.

The Colonial was first played in 1946.

COLLEGIATE ATHLETICS

NCAA passes $1 billion in revenue, surplus of $105 million — The NCAA surpassed $1 billion in revenue for the first time last year, most of which came from its television deal for the men’s basketball tournament, and distributed $560.3 million to Division I schools.

The NCAA released Wednesday its audited financial statement for September 2016 to August 2017. The media rights deal with CBS and Turner for the tournament was worth $761 million. That increases to $869 million this year.

The NCAA also was paid $35.75 million from ESPN. The NCAA does not make anything from major college football and the College Football Playoff media rights. Those deals are struck with conferences.

The NCAA listed $956 million in total expenses leaving it with a surplus of 105.1 million. The previous year, the NCAA reported $995 million in revenue.

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